NHL BRIEF

UNDATED (AP) — Derek Boogaard’s family has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the National Hockey League, The New York Times reported Sunday.

Boogaard was found dead of an accidental overdose of pain medication and alcohol on May 13, 2011. He was 28. He was posthumously diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative brain ailment that is caused by repeated blows to the head.

“To distill this to one sentence,” William Gibbs, attorney for the Boogaards, told The Times, “you take a young man, you subject him to trauma, you give him pills for that trauma, he becomes addicted to those pills, you promise to treat him for that addiction, and you fail.”

Boogaard was under contract with the New York Rangers at the time of his death. He played his first five NHL seasons with the Minnesota Wild and one season with the Rangers after signing a four-year, $6.5 million contract with New York in July 2010.

HELSINKI (AP) — The United States, Canada, Russia and Switzerland clinched quarterfinal berths at the hockey world championships Sunday.

The Americans beat Germany 3-0. Bobby Butler and Paul Stastny scored within the first five minutes for the U.S., and Stephen Gionta put the game away midway through the third period. John Gibson finished with 30 saves.

Jeff Skinner scored the winner in the third in Canada’s 2-1 win over the Czech Republic, reigning champion Russia came back after two losses to beat Slovakia 3-1, and unbeaten Switzerland defeated Norway 3-1 to win its sixth game.

SEATTLE (AP) — If the NBA Board of Governors denies the pending sale and relocation of the Kings, the Seattle group seeking to purchase the franchise has a backup deal with the Maloof family.

The backup agreement would have the Seattle group, led by investor Chris Hansen and Microsoft Chairman Steve Ballmer, purchase a limited ownership of the Maloofs’ stake in the Kings. The limited partnership would be a purchase of at least 20 percent of the stake at a value of $600 million.

If the backup plan is used, the Maloofs would retain majority ownership of the franchise and continue to run the team in Sacramento. Hansen’s group would hold a two-year right to purchase a majority interest of the franchise at a later date.

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — As red-and-white ticker tape flew into the rainy sky above Old Trafford, a beaming Alex Ferguson hoisted up the Premier League trophy for a 13th and final time.

Behind Britain’s most successful soccer manager stood his jubilant squad of players, dancing to a soundtrack of “Champions, Champions” being belted out by more than 76,000 fans.

It was the end of an era at Manchester United on Sunday as Ferguson coached his final home match for a club he has led for nearly 27 years. And he had a 38th piece of major silverware to celebrate.

Ferguson leaves the game a true winner with 13 league titles, two Champions League titles, five FA Cups and four League Cups. He has managed 1,499 games for United.

MADRID (AP) — Serena Williams kept the No. 1, and added No. 50.

Williams beat Maria Sharapova 6-1, 6-4 in the final of the Madrid Open on Sunday to retain her No. 1 ranking and collect her 50th career title, while Rafael Nadal eased by Stanislas Wawrinka 6-2, 6-4 for his fifth title since returning from a knee injury.

The second-ranked Sharapova would have overtaken the top ranking with a win, but Williams stormed out to an early lead as Sharapova struggled with her serve.

The 31-year-old Williams, playing in her first red clay final since 2002, dominated Sharapova from the start as the Russian never managed to steady her erratic serve.

Good morning! Some folks around the county scraped their windshields and worried about their plants as a blanket of frost hit some areas this morning. Temperatures hit the low 30s and upper 20s, and AccuWeather is calling for the same tomorrow. Sunny and a high of 51 today.In your Indiana Gazette:The Monday Q&A profile features Ruiess Van Fossen Bravo, the new director of the Christian C